This Algerian Lamb Tagine (Lham Lahlou) is a dish eaten during the month of Ramadan. It contains lamb meat, prunes, pears, raisins, and apricots. The dish is flavorful and indulgent, and is a great way to end a long day of fasting from sunup to sundown.
Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!
If you’re looking for a dish that is as comforting as it is celebratory, Lham Lahlou is a true gem of Algerian cuisine. Known as “sweet meat,” this festive lamb tagine balances tender, slow-cooked meat with the natural sweetness of dried fruits like prunes, apricots, and raisins, all simmered in a fragrant syrup of cinnamon and orange blossom water.
This dish is sweet and indulgent (unlike my recipe for Chicken Tagine, which is a savory tagine) and definitely a treat to anyone that tries it. And even more than that, it’s so easy! A little simmering, a little sprinkling, and you have a fantastic dinner for the family.
Whether you’re exploring North African cooking for the first time or looking to reconnect with tradition, this dish is a beautiful way to bring warmth and sweetness to the table.
Recipe Origins
More than 99% of Algerians are Sunni Muslim, so the holiday of Ramadan is an extremely important occasion in the country. After a long day of fasting, a family will sit down to a table with a plate of Lham Lahlou, piled high with lamb meat and dried fruits. The lack of salt in the dish staves off thirst during the day, when drink is prohibited, and the dried fruits provide a sugar boost to keep energy up during the following day of fasting. Lham Lahlou is often served on the first night of Ramadan to signify a sweet holiday.
It can be served as a main dish, often alongside soup and savory dishes. But it can also be served in smaller portions as a side to a larger feast. While it is a must-have at Ramadan, it is also served at other important celebrations like weddings.
The Algerian Sweet Lamb (Lham Lahlou) vaguely resembles the Kabuli Pulao dish from Afghanistan. Both contain lamb with dried fruits, but the Afghan version of the dish is cooked alongside basmati rice, while the Algerian Sweet Lamb is most typically served with couscous.
Why Make This Recipe
- Sweet Meat: If you’re a fan of a little bit of sweetness alongside your savory, this recipe is perfect for you!
- Tender Lamb: This recipe calls for searing your meat and then cooking slowly until it becomes fork tender and delicious!
- Cultural Significance: This meal is a significant part of Ramadan and an easy way to experience just a small portion of Algerian culture.
Key Ingredients Needed to Make Lamb Tagine
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Ghee: You can also use butter, but the ghee has a richer and nuttier flavor that adds a heightened element to this dish.
- Bone-in lamb: The bone gives great flavor and also added tenderness but you could use boneless as well. If using boneless, you may be able to reduce the cooking time slightly. You could also use bone in or boneless beef for a more affordable alternative that has a less gamey flavor.
- Dried Fruits: Prunes, raisins and dried apricots. You want to soak each of them in water for 2 hours before cooking to soften them. Prunes have a deeper, more caramel flavor while dried apricots tend to be lighter or fruitier. Feel free to add more of one or the other to reach your desired flavor profile!
- Unripe pear: It’s best to use one that is crisp, not yet soft, peeled and cut into pipes. You can also use apples.
- Orange blossom water: If you can’t find orange blossom water, you can use a small amount of orange extract mixed into water.
- Blanched almonds: Blanched almonds are simply almonds with the skin removed. You can use regular almonds or slivered almonds if that’s what you have on hand.
Tools
- Dutch Oven: If you don’t have a tagine, any large pot with a lid will do. The cone shape of a tagine recirculates moisture and heat in a very unique way, but a dutch oven will work almost as well if it’s all you have!
How to Make This Recipe
Step One: Add the ghee and lamb to a dutch oven and cook until the outside of the meat is browned.
Step Two: Stir in the cinnamon stick, water, and sugar and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes before adding your soaked prunes, apricots, pear slices, and raisins.
Step Three: Cover and simmer for about 15-20 more minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the orange blossom water and stir to combine. Garnish with the blanched almonds.
Expert Tips
- Serve your lamb tagine at room temperature with some couscous or naan.
- You will know your lamb tagine is done cooking when the lamb is fall-off-the-bone tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
Recipe FAQs
Traditionally, this lamb tagine is served as a main dish during Ramadan to break the fast, but many families also serve it alongside soup and savory dishes, making it feel like a complement to the meal.
Yes! A vegetarian version is made with just dried fruits, nuts, and the sweet syrup. It’s lighter, but still carries the same festive flavors.
You can use any bone-in lamb for this recipe. Lamb shank or lamb shoulder are the most common choices, as they become beautifully tender during slow cooking.
Did you enjoy this recipe? If so, check out these other recipes I’ve chosen for you:
If you tried this Lamb Tagine from Algeria (Lham Lahlou) Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Lham Lahlou
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 2 lb bone-in lamb
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cups water
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 12 pitless prunes, soaked in hot water for two hours
- 10 dried apricots, soaked in hot water for two hours
- 1 unripe pear, peeled and cut into pipes
- 2 tbsp large raisins, soaked in hot water for two hours
- 1 ½ tsp orange blossom water
- 2 tbsp blanched almonds
Instructions
- Melt the ghee in a dutch oven and then add lamb meat to the pan. Stir to brown the outside of the meat for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cinnamon stick, water, and sugar. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes.
- Add the prunes, apricots, pear slices, and raisins.
- Cover and simmer for about 15-20 more minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the orange blossom water and stir to combine. Garnish with the blanched almonds.
- Serve at room temperature with couscous. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Ghee: You can also use butter.
- Bone-in lamb: The bone gives great flavor and also added tenderness but you could use boneless as well. You could also use bone in or boneless beef for a more affordable alternative that has a less gamey flavor.
- Unripe pear: You can also use apples.
- Orange blossom water: You can use a small amount of orange extract mixed into water.
- Blanched almonds: You can use regular almonds or slivered almonds if that’s what you have on hand.
- Serve your lamb tagine at room temperature with some couscous or naan.
- You will know your lamb tagine is done cooking when the lamb is fall-off-the-bone tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
Meghan says
I love that the pears are cut into pipes!!! Just like Grandpa used to do! ????
Alexandria Drzazgowski says
Duh, that’s the only right way to cut them! Glad you’re reading 🙂